Suspicious

Pete--or Petyr-- flopped down at the table and hiccupped.

"It's a little early to be drunk, Pete." The scientist sighed as he rubbed his head.

"You're one to talk," Petyr slurred. "You are here too."

"I'm not here to drink. I was meeting someone..." the lanky scientist explained.

A lopsided grin made its way onto the man's lopsided face. "And I see you found her! Hello, my lady," the drunk reached across Renat to try and kiss Mairwen's hand.

Renat slapped his arm away, knocking the inebriated fellow off balance and out of his chair.

"Oh!" Mairwen squealed. Her chair scraped along the dirt floor as she hurried to help the man back into his seat.

Petyr's grin turned vulgar. "I can see why Renat would want to meet you here. He must be hiding you from his new wife. Marry me since he can't."

Mairwen let go of the man like he was made of hot coals and nearly emptied the contents of her stomach both from his words and his breath. She tugged at her hood to better conceal her face from his gaze.

The scientist stood from his seat. "Stop it! This IS my wife. Say another word like that and it won't be the liquor that knocks you out."

For a moment, Pete seemed sober. The weakling child Petyr had known had grown into a tall and formidable opponent compared to his own short, fat frame. "My apologies, I am not myself." Then the drukard slipped back into his idle ramblings. "Did you know your father goes around bragging that you married the princess. As if you could be THE Renat that conquered that feat. Though I give him credit for trying to elevate your status. The phrase 'sell like a Renat' has finally faded from the villagers tongues."

"Go away," Renat mumbled.

"What?" the man had not heard.

"You don't say!" the scientist said more pleasantly.

"Though now that I am a witness, I can see why your father goes around bragging that his son married the princess. She is certainly beautiful enough."

"Because beauty is the only thing that defines a princess..." The blue-eyed woman rolled her eyes.

"It can't hurt can it?" Petyr shrugged. His bleary eyes drifted to the two other figures. "They don't talk much, do they?"

"No, but they are just as ready to beat you into a pulp for your insults as I am, I promise," Renat warned him.

Cracking his knuckles, the Guardian's eyes flashed silver beneath his hood. He was calculating how best to make the pest disappear. Eira, for her part, would have thrown the man out on his ear a long time ago except that they were trying to keep a low profile, and that unfortunately meant suffering this drunken fool. She raised her eyebrows toward Mairwen to ask permission, but the princess denied her request with a shake of her head.

Fortunately, food reached the table, and the four weary travelers dug into the meal. It was a thick, unidentifiable meat in some broth, but it was not wholly terrible. And they were all hungry enough that they did not care. Renat tossed some money to the barkeep and he wandered away whistling. It had been a good take for this time of day!

"Can I have some?" Petyr begged sheepishly.

"I'm sure there is more of...whatever this is...go get your own." Renat elbowed the drunk as he tried to stick his finger in the bowl.

"I mean money. I am a little low on funds after last night..." the drunk indicated a table full of empty mugs.

"What happened, Pete? Tell me you didn't lose it all..."

"I wasn't gambling...at least not last night. I went to leave the town last night but the gatekeepers were not allowing anyone to leave. They said wolves had been spotted in the outlying areas and advised I find a place to stay for the night. So, deciding to spend one last night in the big city, I went to this little place and became what the name suggests--a sitting duck. I met some very friendly gentlemen who drank with me most of the night and then left me with the bill. I used all the money I had with me to pay the tab and buy a couple more drinks to pass the time."

"So you wasted your a night, most of day, and your money in this tavern?"

"Not completely wasted. The men talked of monsters being seen around town. I will have some great campfire stories during the next festival!" Pete, not surprisingly, reveled being the center of attention.

"Monsters? They weren't talking about the wolves outside the city?" The princess shot a glance at her brother. He also seemed to be paying close attention.

"I don't think so. They each had a different story more fantastic than the last. I'll tell them to you for some coin." Pete burped and the odor made Renat lose what appetite he had left. He pushed his mostly empty bowl to the young man sitting next to him. The drunkard finished off the bowl greedily and wiped his chin with his sleeve.

"I think we have had quite enough of your charming company. Thank you for the information." Renat tossed a few coins on the table for the sake of his brother. Amaki deserved a better friend.

"Thanks! I will be sure to sing your praises when I get home." Petyr promised.

The scientist winced. "Better not mention you saw me at all, especially not here. It will look poorly on both of us."

Petyr nodded. "Good call. I will just..."

"Head home, Petyr. Now. I'm sure you and Amaki can find trouble to get into at home."

"He's been travelling, but I think you knew that." Pete responded.

"I did, I just forgot. Good day, Petyr. And good luck."

The four got up from the table and moved toward the door. Pete grunted in pain. As Mairwen turned around, she realized that Alaron had doubled back and punched the fool in the gut.

"That's for hitting on another man's wife and being drunk in the middle of the day." The Guardian passed the blue-eyed woman and added in a low growl, "No one messes with my sister." He shook his fist to relieve the pain of his hit. It was a small price to pay.

Out on the noisy street, they were able to speak more freely.

"I am glad you two will never rule," Alaron said darkly. "You are both too nice. Tossing coins to every drunk and vagrant that came into your path. The kingdom would fall to bits under your generosity."

Mairwen lifted her chin indignantly. "I won an archery contest to up hold the honor of Valiant not to mention I helped lead the human army in battle against some crazy prince with delusions of grandeur. Kindness is not weakness." Then the young woman shrugged and sighed through her nose. "But I never want to be in charge of all that. Too much responsibility."

Alaron pulled at his chin thoughtfully. "You would much rather be chasing missing scientists," the brother teased.

Spreading her hands wide, Mairwen nodded. "Exactly."

"What did you make of his monster stories?" Renat asked. "Petyr is an idiot and a sot, but not usually a liar."

Eira cleared her throat. "At the gate, I overheard a few citizens asking the guard if they planned to close out the gates again tonight. They had accidentally been shut out of the city last night and were relaying the horrors of moving shadows. I dismissed it at the time, but now I am not so sure."

"Well, if it isn't just some mass hysteria because the palace was attacked, then it could be what mother was unwilling to tell us in the mirror. However, it doesn't change the fact that we need to be careful."

"Agreed," the other three echoed.

The princess retrieved her horse and began to lead it toward their destination. With a firm pull on the reins, Alaron stopped her.

"Before we head to the University, we need a better disguise for the two of you. If a drunk who hasn't seen you in years can recognize you in a bar, then surely your colleagues will look past your common attire and know you immediately. I am just glad no one called you out at the gate. No one is supposed to know you are here." The Guardian thought for a moment. "I have an idea, but it involves one thing I truly hate."

"Shopping?" Mairwen asked with a smirk.

"Shopping..." Alaron confirmed. "I hope you kept some of that coin for yourself, brother-in-law. Your wife has good taste even in simple fabric."

The scientist nodded. "It is something I have discovered," he admitted. Planning a wedding with the lovely woman had opened his eyes to her exquisite preferences in almost everything.

"What can I say? I know what I like." Mairwen was unapologetic. "Now, come on. I know how to get to a textile market."

"Of course you do," the men said in unison. They looked to see Mairwen and Eira disappearing into the crowded street. Only the horses gave a clue to their direction.

"Come on," Alaron called to the other fellow. "Time to get you into something more suspicious."

"Don't you mean 'less suspicious'?" the scientist corrected him with a half-smile.

There was a flash beneath the Guardian's hood as his eyes twinkled with mischief. "Nope. I meant what I said. Time to make you look very suspicious indeed!"